‘Ladies Of London’: Montagu’s Mapperton Estate Featured In New Movie


The new movie based on a Thomas Hardy novel has been shot at Ladies of London Julie Montagu’s husband’s family home, Mapperton. Far From the Madding Crowd is a story from the history of the Montagu family that covers some heavy topics, but it is bringing lots of money and attention to the estate.

The Inquisitr reported that Ladies of London Julie Montagu, aka the soon to be Lady Sandwich, has been working overtime to find new ways to fund the upkeep of Mapperton, which costs over $200,ooo each year just for maintenance. Between selling her JUB (Julie’s Unbelievable Balls) and taking tours of other family estates to see how they make money and manage costs, Montagu is on the road to alleviating the family’s financial crisis. If anyone can get Mapperton back on track, it’s Julie Montagu and her husband Luke.

Though the film was released in the U.K. back in May, the film has not yet been released in the United States. The Mapperton website mentions that Mapperton was the film maker’s first choice when shooting the film.

“The film location team said they ‘fell in love with [Mapperton] instantly!’ which is why Mapperton Estate was chosen to star as Bathsheba’s home ‘Everdene Farm.'”

Mapperton’s gardener, David, was an extra in the film, helping out in the sheep dipping scene. And also on the site was the transformation on the grounds of Mapperton, part of which were turned into a swamp.

“The whole thing was turned into a complete swamp, all earth and stone,” reveals Lady Sandwich in an article in the Sunday Times today. “They put a heavy tarpaulin of some sort over all the grass in the courtyard, and on top of that they scattered mud and sand and stone and turned it into a very rough surface.”

But the Daily Mail got up close and personal with the film’s subject matter, which is about family issues and violence. The film, which stars Carey Mulligan, is about the 10th Earl of Sandwich, whose younger brother was raped by his father as a child.

“Mapperton House, in Beaminster, was transformed into the farmhouse of heroine Bathsheba Everdene for the film adaptation of Far from the Madding Crowd. But rape victim Robert Montagu revealed the abuse at the hands of his father in the family’s home, in a Mail on Sunday interview last year.”

The disclosure of the rape caused a major rift in the family, which has not yet been cleared.

Bridport News reports that the current Lady Sandwich, Julie Montagu’s mother-in-law, hosted the crew at Mapperton for three months.

“For the film, they transformed the front courtyard into a grubby, messy 19th century farmyard, complete with a longhorn cow and calf. This was right outside our bedroom window and was so realistic that one night it attracted a tawny owl hunting for rats.”

Lady Sandwich enjoyed watching the filming process, but life had to go on for the estate.

“Life had to go on around the filming and we were here most of the time. It was great fun seeing behind the scenes, especially when things were being improvised as they have to be.”

The movie stars Julie Christie and Terrence Stamp, and should be released in the States after the holidays.

Are you interested in what Mapperton looks like in the movies, versus what it looks like on Ladies of London?

[Photo courtesy of Mapperton Estate]

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